Ore washing or concentrating machine.



No. 771,107. PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1o4. E. A. WALL.

ORB WASHING OR GONGENTRATING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1903. N0 MODEL.

2 SHBETS-SHBET 1.

No. 771,107. PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904. I E. A. WALL.

ORE WASHING 0R GONGENTRATING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 15, 1903.

f 062ml B Lake City,

UNITED STATES Patented September 2'7, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

O RE WASHING OR OONCENTRATING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,107, dated September 27, 1904. Application filed June 15, 1903. Serial No. 161,552, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ENos A. WALL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Salt in the State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore Washing or Concentrating Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and explicit description of my invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to that class of oreconcentrating machines, commonly called tables, which are constructed approximately rectangular in form, but of greater length than width, and with plain, rifl'led, or corrugated surfaces, upon which the washing or concentration of ores is effected by passing the finely-crushed particles of mineralore-bearing rock over the surface of the table mingled with sufficient water to carry forward the lighter particles of waste material or gangue, causing the heavier minerals to settle down and adhere to the surface of the table, the separation being at the same,

time aided or facilitated by application of mechanical force, whereby the table is made to vibrate reciprocally in a longitudinal direction, the table being supported on movable rollers from beneath or suspended by flexible 0r jointed rods, so as to admit of such vibration.

For the purpose of more clearly describing the operation the end of the table to which is applied the vibrating motion is called the head, and the side from which are discharged the wash-water, waste material, (tailings, and finished product is called the tail. The table is transversely inclined in the direction of the tail, so as to give velocity to the wave-currents of wash-water, whereby a separation of the lighter sands from the heavier material is effected, the lighter material being car ried or made to drift by the moving water across and over the tail side of the table, while the heavier mineral will settle beneath the sands and adhere to the surface of the table. The table is made to vibrate in a longitudinal direction by mechanism adapted to impart variable vibratory velocity-that is, the table is moved outa short distance at a given speed and then returned at a much higher rate of speed, with the result that the particles of mineral which adhere to the surface of the table are set in motion in the direction of the moving table and across the descending currents of water. The direction of the table being suddenly reversed at a higher velocity, the grains of heavy mineral will remain inert, while the table by this reverse movement is withdrawn from beneath them, and thus at each pulsation or stroke of the table the particles of heavy mineral are moved forward toward the desired point of their discharge as finished product.

The degree of efficiency attained in tables of this class is dependent solely upon the mechanism whereby the vibratory movement of the table is effected. Therefore numerous devices have been contrived for that purpose, each effective in a degree, but all deficient in important particulars, the chief difficulty being found in the construction of mechanism which will impart to the table such vibratory movement as will cause the particles of heav Y mineral to slide forward upon the surface of the table in the direction desired at each pulsation or stroke without at the same time imparting a shock or jar that will cause the particles to rise and endanger their being carried back with the water and again mingled with the waste.

The object of my invention is to obviate this and other objectionable features by means of a very simple device whereby the table is slowly moved in the direction of the head end against a compression-spring upon an operating-rod attached to the table. The table then is thrown out by the spring at high velocity the required distance and then suddenly stopped by a buffer-block fixed upon the said rod. The effect of this movement is to set in motion the table with its load of adhering particles of heavy mineral and then suddenly stop it by the buffer-block. The

particles of mineral having received the momentum of high velocity will continue to move on a short distance at each stroke, and thus the desired object is attained without imparting any shock or resilience, such as results from devices in common use, due to reversal of direction of vibration in one continuous movement. Now if the movement of the table be stopped by a buffer at the opposite end, as in some machines of this class, vibratory waves resulting from the shock will be carried through the table, causing the adhering particles of mineral to rise from its surface and again mingle with the floating waste sand, thus defeating the object of the operation, besides the propelling effect upon the adhering particles of mineral would be operative only upon that portion of the table nearest the contact with the buffer, and hence tables of this type are limited to one s ction of about four feet in width by six feet in length, whereas by applying the buffer at the head end of the table, as in my machine, the table may be made of much greater length and width, the surface being divided into five or more sections, each forming a separate and complete concentrating-compartment.

The drawings show a table which in practice is twenty feet in length and seven feet in width, divided into five sections of four by seven feet, and thus what has been herein referred to as length and width of the table as a whole becomes width and length when applied to the several compartments.

The surface of thetable may be covered with any fabric having a smooth surface which is impervious to water-sueh as linoleum, oilcloth, or thin rubber-or may be provided with grooves or riffles, as the nature of the mineral to be treated may require.

These objects I accomplish by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my machine, showing an end view of the several compartments 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, with a simple trusssupporting frame which carries the table, adjusting-rods, &c. Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation, and Fig. 3 is a plan view, of a portion of the head end of the table with portions of the covering removed to show method of construction of frame-supporting deck of table. Fig. 4: is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the operating mechanism, and Fig. 5 is a plan of a portion of the table-adjusting mechanism.

In the drawings, Fig. 1, A is the buffer-rod, which passes through a vertical buffer-bar m at one end of the frame M, which bar is braced to resist the impact of the buffer-block E. The buffer-rod is pivoted at the inner side of buffer-bar m with a screw-thread upon which is placed the nut B, the washer-plate C, and the compression or impulse spring D, and said buffer-rod is provided at the outer side of the bufier-bar with a buffer-block E. Upon the outer end of the buffer-rod is secured in any suitable manner a clevis F or U -piece of metal adapted to receive the lever L, which is secured or hinged to the buffer-rod by pin f, passing through the clevis F and lever I.

G is an adjusting rod or bolt provided with clevis H, similar to F upon the buffer-rod, which clevis is pivoted or hinged to the lower end of the lever I by means of the pin f, the adjusting-rod Gr being. extended through the lower end of the buffer-bar m and provided with tail-nuts a a, whereby the lever I maybe moved to or from the cams J J, thereby controlling the length of stroke or throw of the table.

J J are arms or rev'oluble cams secured to the shaft L.

L is one of the pillow-blocks which support the shaft L on top of the buffer-bar.

K is the driving-pulley.

N is the floor or deck of the table N.

O is a narrow board placed upon one longitudinal side of the table to prevent overflow of feed-water, and Q designates several board partition-strips placed transversely upon the surface of the table and separating the compartments 1, 2, 3, 4E, and 5.

P designates jointed suspension-rods which support the table, and these rods are duplicated on opposite sides of the table. The rods P pass through the side bars of a verticallyadjustable frame U and are provided with operating-nuts P, the outer edges of which are toothed to form gears which mesh with wormgears T, secured to the parallel shafts R, mounted in bearings S on top of frame U, the said shafts R being geared together by sprocket-wheels (0 (1 and a crossed sprocketchain I), Fig. 2, whereby the degree of transverse inclination of the table can be altered with one movement. This inclination of the table is due to the crossing of the sprocketchain, which causes the gear-nuts P at one side of the frame to rotate oppositely to those on the opposite side, thereby raising one set of rods and lowering the other set. The frame U is suspended from the cross-timbers m of the main frame M, Fig. 2, by jointed rods Q, Q, duplicated at opposite end of frame, whereby the table can be readily raised or lowered longitudinally by means of the nuts q q.

WV, Fig. 3, represents longitudinal foundation-timbers, to which is secured the floor or deck N of the table N.

X represents thin diagonal bars of iron bracing and joining foundation-bars W of table Y, Fig. 3, is a pin pivotally connecting the buffer-rod A with the table and forming a hinge which permits raising or lowering of opposite end of the table.

Z, Fig. 3, shows method of covering portion of each compartment of the table with corrugated or fluted fabric.

By reference to the drawings, Fig. 1, it will be seen that if the shaft L be revolved the lever I W? be pressed back by the cams J J, and thus the table, by means of the buffer-rod A, will be retracted, compressing the spring D against the buffer-bar on. Then when the t the surface of the table to slide in the a bufler-bar through cam J passes the contact with the lever I the table will be thrust forward by the spring D, bringing the buffer-block E in contact with the opposite side of the buffer-harm, suddenly stopping the outward throw of the table, the effect of which is, as before stated, to cause the particles of heavy mineral which adhere direction of the throw a short distance at each stroke or pulsation of the spring.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An ore-concentrating machine or table adapted to receive actuating impulse from the head end, in combination with an operating rod or bar attached to the head of the table, which the rod passes, a spring on the rod at the inner side of said buffer-bar and a buifer-block secured to the rod or bar at the outer side of the buffer bar or timber to receive and resist the impact of the spring and suddenly stop the forward movement of the table at its head end as it moves in the direction of the tail, and means for retracting the operating-rod against the spring and suddenly releasing it.

2. An ore-concentrating apparatus comprising, a frame, a buffer-bar at the head end thereof, a concentrating-table mounted on the frame and provided at its head end with an operating-rod extending through the bufferbar, a spring on the rod at the inner side of the buffer-bar, a buffer-block on the rod at 'the outer side of the buffer-bar to receive the throw of the table'at its head end as it moves intthe direction of the tail, a lever connected to the outer end of the rod, and a shaft having arms to successively engage and retract said lever and suddenly release it.

3. An ore-concentrating apparatus comprising, a frame, a bufier-bar at the head end thereof, a concentrating-table mounted on the frame, and provided at its head end with an operating-rod extending through the bufferbar, a spring on the rod at the inner side of said buffer-bar, a nut on the rod to adjust the spring, a buffer-block on the rod at the outer side of the buffer-bar to receive the throw of the table at its head end as it moves in the direction of the tail, a lever pivoted between its ends to the outer end of the operating-rod, an adjustable fulcrum-screw to which one end of said lever is pivoted, and a shaft having arms to successively engage and retract said lever and suddenly release it.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ENOS A. WVALL.

Witnesses:

JoHN A. STREET, WILLARD HANsoN. 

